They say that inflation is the "silent killer" of the economy, similarly, latency can quietly torpedo application performance. Latency issues are often intermittent and can be challenging to track down for performance monitoring purposes. However, identifying and mitigating latency issues is easy with the right tools and techniques. To measure latency, it's essential to have a performance baseline, monitor deviations from the baseline, and figure out what triggers the latency issue. Simplifying latency identification involves tracking latency continuously, collecting metrics from both applications and infrastructure, and focusing on context. Latency reduction techniques include compressing content, caching resources, using microservices, and avoiding blocking procedures. Ultimately, leveraging a monitoring and observability solution is crucial to taking control of latency and application performance optimization.